Holding Pattern

Lately, I've felt like I'm kind of stuck in a holding pattern. Levi and I both feel like we're on the verge of some big changes (besides the obvious little addition coming this fall!), so we're really trying to focus on spending this waiting period being faithful and patient... without grumbling. I find myself having to continuously reset my mind throughout the day to remind myself to put my trust and hope in God and the things He has planned for us... even if I don't really know what all those things are just yet! I really strongly believe that big changes are coming, and that's really exciting!! But in the meantime, life is just a little bit boring.

And when I get bored, I am seized by an inability to be productive or to do anything really. It's like I become physically incapacitated, and I just sit around staring at things all day. This isn't a new development for me; this is something I've struggled with my whole life. Some days, I have absolutely no idea where my time went... probably into the black hole that is my iPhone (sometimes I seriously wish I could throw that thing off a pier or that the Internet would suddenly cease to exist).

So today, as I was sitting on my bed in my bathrobe, staring at things, feeling really really tired, I decided to get my butt up and put some clothes on. Then I drove myself to See's Candy for some dark California brittle and a lemon truffle (my current obsession). I took myself to my old college campus (CSU Long Beach), found a parking spot, bought myself a Diet Coke (why on earth I wanted a Diet Coke is beyond me... I never drink that stuff), and wandered around for an hour. There's something about being on-campus that I really love. Levi and I sometimes go there just to walk around when we can't think of anything else to do. I guess it's the eternal student in me. Anyway, it was really nice. And it somehow managed to make me feel a little bit productive. I didn't really produce anything, but I moved my body, and I soaked up some sunshine, and I'm constantly growing this baby, so it was good.  I feel good. And I feel happy to wait for all the big and small things coming up.

For Sale

Does anyone want to buy a pair of brand new gold Salt Water sandals from me in a women's size 8 ("Youth 6 Womens 8")? I think they fit pretty true to size.

(stock photo 'cause I was too lazy to pull out my camera.)

I ordered them online, and they're too big for me. I can return them, but I thought I'd see if anyone wanted them first because this size was tricky for me to find online. I'm just looking to get what I paid for them - $36 plus $5 shipping. Let me know if you want them!

Halfway and a Birthday!

I am officially at the halfway point of my pregnancy!! I can't believe this little girl has been with me for 20 whole weeks now. That's nuts! Hopefully, I have only 19 more to go because I'm still hoping for a Halloween baby.

Levi and I went in for our 20-week ultrasound on Monday, and it was awesome to see our little lady up on that screen. I was correct when I said that she's hanging out very very low. In fact, the technician laughed when she saw how low she was. She seriously couldn't get any lower. She's a burrower, I guess! I found out that I have an anterior placenta, which explains why I'm still waiting to feel a good, solid kick... I could be waiting awhile. I still feel her shifting around in there, but I want Levi to get to feel her too! Even though I'm not really feeling her too much, she is definitely very active. She looked like she was bucking and punching me with her little feet.

(another 20-week shot from the same day)

We learned that I have a low-lying placenta, which isn't ideal, but it's not bad, especially at this point. The doctor was very confident that it will move up as my baby grows. I was just really happy to hear that it wasn't praevia, which means the placenta is either partially or fully covering the cervix. This requires a mandatory c-section. We also found out that the umbilical cord didn't attach itself to the ideal location of my placenta. It attached itself to a thinner part. I'm really not worried about any of this though. The doctor didn't seem concerned, so I won't be either! Still, between these two things and my stupid thyroid (I have cyst in my thyroid that takes up the entire left side - it's been there for years, and let me tell you, it is NOT comfortable. It's severely suppressing my TSH levels, but my T4 and T3 are only borderline hyper-thyroid), they're going to keep a bit of a closer eye on me and the baby just to be safe, which means I get to go in for another ultrasound in four weeks! I absolutely love seeing baby girl, so I am just fine with extra ultrasounds. Plus, I really like that my doctors are taking precautions to make sure my baby and I are healthy. I feel like we're in very good hands.

In other news, my birthday was on Sunday. This was, by far, the weirdest birthday I've ever had. I wasn't looking forward to it at all (I just didn't care, which is so unlike me), and it turned out to be a little bit depressing for several reasons. I was kinda happy when the day was over. Regardless, Levi and I had a really nice dinner with our friends, Will and Drew. It's always awesome to see those guys, and I was happy to spend part of my birthday with them. Also, we're having a bonfire at the end of the month to celebrate, so I'm looking forward to that as well!

My mom stopped by our house on my birthday morning to bring me flowers, a beautiful card, and a dozen hardboiled eggs... haha! She knows I like them a lot right now, so she made a batch for me and wrote "Happy Birthday, Jasi" across the shells. So sweet! And even sweeter - she gifted me with some items from my Amazon baby registry!!! Part of her order arrived yesterday! I was so excited to get my first baby gifts that I lined them up and took a picture:

Our bottles are from mimijumi. They are AWESOME. Besides coming in an adorable milk carton and looking really cool, they're 100% BPA-, EA-, and latex-free. They're also designed to simulate a mother's breast, so they'll be a really nice complement to breastfeeding.

The book is illustrated by Julia Dennos, whose art I love, and the drying rack is from Boon. Baby stuff is so much fun. My latest (semi-stalkerish) hobby is perusing the Amazon baby registries of strangers, other bloggers, and pregnant friends... I love to see what everyone else is using for their babies. Try it... if you're weird like me, you'll have fun! ;)

19 Weeks!

Oh yeah! I have a blog! This post is going to be a pregnancy update, so I can remember some of the things going on at the midpoint when I look back on this whole crazy experience!

I am 19 weeks pregnant... almost halfway there. Everyone keeps saying, "I can't believe you're already 19 weeks!" And I want to respond with, "Really?! I feel like I've been pregnant for six years!" It simultaneously goes by quickly and slowly.

The "Bump"

I still don't have much of a bump, but here's the progression of what I do have. 

14 weeks:

16 weeks:

18 weeks:

The 18-week shot might be a little deceptive... I had just eaten a bunch of french toast. ;)

So far, it seems like I'm carrying her really really REALLY low and close to my spine. I still weigh a few pounds less than when I started, so there's definitely some room to grow!

Milestones

I'm going for walks much more regularly again! It's great. I really missed walking. When I got pregnant, Levi and I were taking an hour-long, fast-paced walk every night. I hope to get back up to that (and move beyond it) before I deliver, but I'm not pushing myself too hard. My main priority right now is to feel as good as possible.

I felt her for the first time around 15 weeks. It was really exciting! It felt like lots of tiny champagne bubbles popping, and it was very rhythmic. As soon as I realized it was baby, she, of course, stopped. I still feel the flutters from time to time, but I think I've gotten used to them, so I don't notice them as much anymore. I think she moves the most while I'm sleeping because I frequently have half-asleep dreams where I feel her shifting, then I wake up and feel her on one side of my belly. I also get lots of sharp pains low in my pelvis (where she likes to hang out), and I think that's her kicking and punching. I'm still waiting for a good solid kick!

We rented a fetal heart doppler a couple weeks ago, and that thing has been a lifesaver for me. It's only $20 a month (I got mine here and found a $5 off per month coupon code), and it gives me extreme peace of mind. I love hearing her super-fast little heartbeat. It sounds like a horse galloping.

Things I Really Like to Eat

soft pretzels
bananas
caramel rice cakes
coke slurpees
blue icees
strawberry chocolate chip pancakes
lemon pound cake from Starbucks
marshmallow/strawberry milkshakes
coconut shrimp
hardboiled eggs
french fries
grilled white corn on the cob

My cravings definitely lean toward the sweet side.

Symptoms

lower back pain (I swear she's dancing on my spine)
nose bleeds
crazy, severe itching attacks on my breasts, armpits, and neck
round ligament pains
dizziness
terrible balance

Besides the itching, none of these things bother me too much. I was getting really intense headaches every day for awhile, but those have eased, and my dizziness isn't as bad lately either. This week has actually been really great! I've felt pretty good and had a decent amount of energy every day so far (except for my 40-hour itching episode... that was tough). I spent a lot of time walking outside on Wednesday with Levi and even baked cookies that night! That has been my best day of pregnancy so far, and I loved every second of it.

And that's about it! We have a doctor's appointment and our growth and anatomy scan on Monday morning where they'll measure her and confirm (again) that she is, in fact, a she. I'm really looking forward to seeing her tumbling around on the screen. I already think she's the cutest and have assessed her personality based on how she behaves in ultrasounds (she seems really confident and self-assured to me)... I might be reading into things a bit much. I just really really like that girl.

Kim's Birthday and Sabrina

Over Memorial Day weekend, Kim celebrated her birthday. And we celebrated with her by joining her at a screening of Sabrina at Hollywood Forever! For those of you who don't live in the LA area, Hollywood Forever is a cemetery. During the summer, they screen movies on an open lawn. Everyone brings blankets, picnics, and lawn chairs and settles in for a movie under the stars. It's pretty cool! Levi and I had never been before, but I've wanted to go for ages.

We both love Kim (and her boyfriend, André) so much, so it was great to celebrate with her! Seriously, they are the NICEST people I know... I'm not sure how they do that, but I should take some lessons from the two of them. ;)

André baked a big cake for the occasion and packed little goodie bags with potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. They also had wine and yummy cheeses for the non-pregnant to enjoy... let me tell you, I was jealous. I even took a big long whiff of Levi's glass of red wine. Mmm. Smelled so good!





My photos didn't turn out so hot (it was getting pretty dark by the time we arrived), but you can check out the photos André took here.

Now that those two are out of school for summer, we hope to be seeing a lot more of them!!